The daily commute is a common source of life frustration. Sitting in traffic for long stretches can leave you feeling drained before your day has even begun.
But what if the commute to school, university or work could actually improve your day instead of adding stress?
This is just one of the many perks of active commuting or active transport — using physically active travel, such as walking or cycling, to get to where you need to go.
To find out more, we asked two UQ experts to share their insights: Dr Richard Buning, Senior Lecturer and research lead for the UQ Micromobility Research Cluster, and Associate Professor Sjaan Gomersall, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Director at the Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation.
1. Reduce traffic and emissions
According to Dr Buning, active commuting can help to solve a multitude of societal challenges, not least the reduction of commuting emissions by ensuring fewer cars are on our roads during peak-hour congestion.
“With the population growth we are experiencing in Brisbane – and that is similar in many cities around the world – we have to get people out of cars.
“Brisbane is particularly constrained because of the river. In many key locations, we can’t make roads any wider, so the answer really is cycling and other active transport.”
Transport is the leading source of climate pollution in Australia, responsible for more than 22% of the nation’s total emissions. To put that into perspective, the emissions from Australian cars are about the same as the total emissions from Queensland’s entire electricity supply the Climate Council explains.
Dr Buning – a keen cycler himself – says having seamless connections to get around the city, with routes that are safely separated from cars and pedestrians, is key.
“If we can do that, we are much more likely to encourage active transport uptake over the long term.”
If you notice a gap in your local cycling infrastructure, Dr Buning suggests researching and reaching out to a local bicycle advocacy group to see if they can help.
2. Boost physical activity
One of the more obvious benefits of active commuting is the positive impact on your health and wellbeing. Associate Professor Gomersall – who also regularly cycles to work – says commuting offers the perfect opportunity to get up and move.
“One of the things we often hear as a barrier to participating in physical activity is lack of time. Commuting provides a great way to build physical activity into your day, using time that you would otherwise ‘waste’ sitting in traffic.
“If a full commute isn’t an option for you, using public transport and doing a part-active commute will still help you get in a few more steps than if you had driven to work.”
Associate Professor Gomersall says Australia is in the process of updating the government’s physical activity guidelines and is developing 24-hour movement guidelines, following other leading practice guidelines around the world (such as the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines).
24-hour movement guidelines provide integrated advice on daily sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity.
This is particularly relevant in the context of our increasingly desk-bound jobs and days.
“Historically, we have concentrated on time spent being active and at a sufficient intensity. But now, we are thinking more about your whole 24-hour day of movement.
“If you have no choice but to sit down for eight hours a day, but then you actively commute home, your health risks associated with the time you have to spend sitting is going to be less than someone with the same amount of sitting time who then also drives home.”
3. Boost mental health and wellbeing
Active commuting isn’t just good for the body — it’s also great for mental health and wellbeing. By actively commuting, you gain a break from screens and other distractions, helping to clear your mind before or after a busy day.
"We know that an ‘interruption activity’ is very good for promoting mental wellbeing, and active commuting will do that for you,” says Associate Professor Gomersall.
“Having an intermission that you slot in between work and home allows you to transition into your evening. Otherwise, it can be very hard to stop working, particularly if you have a flexible job that you can take home with you.”
Dr Buning agrees.
“Although there are many environmental reasons to cycle to work, one of the main reasons I ride is because I love doing it. It’s the perfect buffer between personal and work life, and it really helps to clear your mind.
“Riding over the Eleanor Schonell Bridge is a delight every single morning and evening when the sun is setting, and it makes me more grateful to live in Brisbane every day I do it.”
4. Maintain a consistent and convenient commute
Commuting by car, or even public transport, can also feel restrictive. Battling traffic and inflexible schedules means your journey duration and arrival time are often out of your control.
On the other hand, active commuting gives you the freedom and flexibility to choose your own route, your own pace and your own schedule.
“There’s a huge benefit in terms of consistency of travel times,” says Dr Buning.
“If you drive or take the bus, the time it takes you to get from A to B is a huge variable, especially with driving. Some days it’s 10 minutes, other days it’s 20 or even 45. If you walk or ride your bike to work or study, it’s the same amount of time every day.”
Associate Professor Gomersall says we’ve often convinced ourselves that active commuting takes longer than other forms of transport, when this isn’t always the case.
“Sometimes you just can’t escape the traffic and active commuting is a much more reliable time commitment. You know exactly how long it will take.”
End-of-trip facilities, such as showers and change rooms, lockers and secure bike storage, also make active commuting more accessible and convenient, enabling commuters to easily store their belongings and freshen up after their journey.
Interestingly, changing work environments are having a significant impact on people’s commuting habits — and not necessarily for the better. Increasing flexibility to work from home means the chance to incorporate an active commute is gone from many people’s days.
Associate Professor Gomersall emphasises that in these cases it is particularly important for people to build in other opportunities to move.
“If you’re not commuting, you could still try blocking out an hour in the morning or the afternoon to go for a ride or a walk.”
5. Save money
On average, Australians spend close to $460 per week on car costs, including loan repayments, fuel, insurance, registration, tolls and other expenses, totalling more than $23,800 each year according to the Australian Automobile Association. This doesn’t include parking fees, which many Aussies willingly pay as part of their daily commute.
With cost-of-living continuing to place pressure on individuals and families, Dr Buning says a silver lining may be that rising costs encourage more people to opt for alternative modes of transport.
“If you’re still driving, the types of things that are going to finally get you out of your car is when your commute becomes too expensive, or too much of a hassle. The more expensive driving becomes, then the more appealing active transport is.”
By eliminating or reducing your car-related costs, you may also be able reallocate that money towards other priorities.
If you’re keen to give active commuting a go, one way to get started is to check out National Ride2Work Day in October — an initiative by the Bicycle Network to join the two-wheeled commuter evolution.
